The US government has accused North Korea of secretly supporting Russia with military equipment in the war against Ukraine.

North Korea is trying to disguise the deliveries of artillery shells via other countries, for example in the Middle East, National Security Council communications director John Kirby said on Wednesday.

He said the US would continue to monitor whether the shipments are actually arriving.

It is a “significant number,” he said.

But the US government does not expect these deliveries to influence the course of the war, Mr Kirby said.

The deliveries not only show how much North Korea is willing to support Russia — it was also a sign of Russia’s lack of military equipment, Mr Kirby said.